Now here's an odd beast if I ever saw one! The Al Hassibah 2000 is a calculator with a dot-matrix display and a toggle button that lets you switch between Western-style vs. true Arabic numerals. Apart from this unique capability, this is essentially a four-function calculator with a built-in clock, alarm, and simple time-management functions.

I can actually claim some personal involvement with the development of this calculator. It was the brainchild of a Toronto friend who spent several years in the Middle East. I tried to help him get in touch with people who had the necessary expertise and engineering skills to design a prototype.

The calculator was not a stellar commercial success, which is a pity. It was a neat idea and now that I replaced their old batteries, the two units I own still work perfectly.